Improvement in seed-planters



L. PRATT..

Seed-Planter;

Patented Apr. 25, 1844. I

wmww

N.PETERS. PHDTO UTNOGRAFMER WA UNITED STATES PATENT @rrrcu.

LOEA PRATT, OF AMHERST,- NEW HAMPSHIRE.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEED-PLANTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 3,562, dated April 25,1844.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOEA PRATT, of Amherst, in the county ofHillsborongh and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Seed Drills or Planters; and 1 do hereby declare that thefollowing description and accompanying drawings, taken in connection,constitute a full and exact specification of the construction andoperation of my invention.

Figure 1 of the drawings above mentioned represents a top view of myimproved seed drill or planter. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

The frame or body of the machineconsists of two bars, A A, which divergefrom each other, as represented in Fig. l, are connected together by aboard, B, upon which the dropping apparatus is arranged, and terminateat two of their opposite ends in handles a a. To the other ends thewheel 0 is applied, like the wheel of acommon wheelbarrow, and the frameis sustained in its requisite position by a leg, I), inserted in theunder side of each of the bars, so as to rest on the ground, as seen inFig. 2.

The hopperE for receiving the seed is placed and secured upon the top ofthe board 13.

The periphery of the wheel 0 is formed triangular, or has a triangularrim, 1), extending around it, the said rim being elevated above theouter circumference of the wheel, and formed in its cross-section of atriangular shape, so that when the wheel is rolled over the surface ofthe ground the triangular rim will sink therein and form a furrow orgroove, within which the seed is dropped from a conductor, 0, extendingdownward from the hopper. Adouble-winged covering apparatus, Gr, of theusual kind, is placed immediately or sufficiently in rear of theconductor to scrape the earth 011 the sides of the furrow into the same,and thus cover the seed as soon as it is planted.

The seed-dropper H consists of a long and flat piece or plate of metalof the shape represented in Fig. 3, wherein it is denoted as detachedfrom the machine. It is arranged directly beneath the hopper and liesupon the top surface of the board 13. It vibrates laterally upon afulcrum at one end, as seen at d, has an aperture, e, formed verticallythrough the part of it within or just beneath the. hopper,

and a bent arm, f, extending from its other end and placed in contactwith one of the sides or edges of the wheel 0, the said arm beingpressed against the same by a spring, F or F, Fig. 1, as the case maybe. The seed-dropper rests and moves upon a plate of metal, I, (see Fig.4, which is a vertical section of the hopper and parts beneath it,)which is sunk within and secured to the board B, the said plate I havinga sunken space formed in its top surface to receive a thin metallicgage-plate, 9. (See Fig. 5, which denotes the plate I and plate g.) Theplate 9 has a small hole, h, formed through it of the size required topermit such a quantity of seed to be dropped through it at eachvibration of the seed-dropper as may be necessary. A series of theseplates, each having a hole differing in size or diameter from theothers,.may accompany each machine, so that such a gage-plate maybe employed as will adapt the apparatus to planting seeds of any particularkind or size. The hole 0 through the seed-hopper passes beyond or by thehole h in the gage-plate whenever the seeddropper is moved toward thecenter of the machine; but when it departs therefrom the hole is broughtdirectly over the aperture, so as to drop the seed that may be in theapertureof the seed-dropper into and through the hole h and conductor,by which it is conveyed to the furrow.

The seed-dropper is pressed outward laterally by a series of cams, i i,850., formed on one edge of the rim of the wheel (J, and inward by thespring F. Another series, 70 70 70 76, &c., is arranged upon theopposite edge of the rim, there being in this latter series doh ble thenumber of cams that there is in the first series, or a greater or lessnumber, according to circumstances. Therefore, in order to make theseeddropper vibrate twice as fast, or faster than it does when in theposition seen in Fig. 1, it is only necessary to remove it or turn itover so that its arm shall rest in contact with the second series ofcams.

Having thus described my invention, I shall claim- 1. The triangularprojection or rim 1), applied to the periphery of the wheel for thepurposeof opening the furrow and thereby dispensing with a furrow-plowsuch as is generally used in drilling-machines.

2. Arranging upon the side of the wheel opposite to that on which thefirst series of cams In testimonythat the foregoing is a true dcisplaced, and in combination therewith, a scription of my said inventionand improvesecond series the cams of which are placed ments 1 havehereto set mysignatnre this 7th at greater or less distances apart fromeach day of March, 1844.

other than those of the first series, the same being for the purpose ofincreasing or dimin- LOEA PRATT. ishing the vibrations of theseed-dropper, so

as to readily adapt the machine to drill or sow Witnesses:

in hills, the whole of theabovebeing arranged R. H. EDDY,

' and operating substantially as above specified. DAVID A. GRANGER.

